Stories from Monday, August 30, 2010

Margaret W. Pruette, 79, passed away at Valley Care Hospital, Pleasanton, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2010, after a brief illness. She had been a resident at Rosewood Gardens Assisted Living Center in Livermore for the past 2 1/2 years. Margaret was born in King Hill, Idaho, on July 17, 1931, but called Santa Barbara, Calif., home for over 46 years. She retired from the University of California Santa Barbara in 1993 where she made many lifelong friends...

AAA expects nearly a 10 percent increase in the number of Labor Day travelers this year compared to last. Part of the reason is that we're coming up against some pretty anemic numbers from a year ago. However, some improvement in key factors like gross domestic product, household net worth and consumer confidence should give travelers more reason to hit the roads, skyways and byways during summer's last hurrah...